Summer Abroad
by Micah Rodney
Summary: A continuation of the story left off in Spring Rains but still a self-contained (and more light-hearted) adventure. As the journey begins to wind down, Prompto tries to find "the perfect photo" to add to Noctis's scrapbook as a wedding gift. With some help from Coctura, Dino and Cindy he might pull it off, even if he winds up severely hurting himself. Mild Plot Spoilers .
1. Chapter 1

**Summer Abroad – Part 01**

by: Jason Tandro

 _Author's Note: The third part of my "Year of Eos". This began with the pretty popular Winter Camp and was followed up by the less successful Spring Rains. This third part Summer Abroad will be considerably more light-hearted than the other two. Rather than being a story of survival or fighting monsters it will be a different sort of struggle focusing on Prompto. Consider this a fun little side adventure before things wrap up quite dark with Autumn Twilight. Thank you all for continuing to support my strange experiment here._

 _Note: You do not need to have read either Winter Camp or Spring Rains to understand this fic. While the stories are linked it is a self-contained adventure. Also note that this story will contain mild plot spoilers for the game's Chapter 9 and 10 though it won't focus on those moments._

CLICK!

The whirring of Prompto's camera woke Ignis from his slumber. He rolled over on his bed to see the young man scoping out the seaside, eagerly capturing every inch he could in the device. The warm salty air permeated every inch of the room, a gentle breeze capturing the drapes and setting them about in a hypnotizing dance that lulled Ignis back to sleep.

Prompto had been up for a while now. He still didn't quite have the right one yet. He scanned through his photos trying to find out exactly what was missing from all of these pictures. There was no pop to them, nothing that made them unique. A million other photos existed of every shot he'd taken himself. No matter what filter or lens he used he wasn't able to create something unique out of the tapestry of nature afforded to him. At least not at this very moment.

He sighed and set the camera down on the hotel desk, leaning back in the chair and trying to think. The only other person up at this hour was Gladiolus but he was out doing his morning training on the shore. Ignis wouldn't be properly up for another half hour or so and Noctis would definitely be longer still. They'd been in Galdin Quay for the past two nights now staying at the lavish, and quite expensive hotel as a sort of treat. They were flush with gil after a series of difficult hunts and had decided to treat themselves – despite Gladiolus mentioning how much Cup Noodle they could have purchased with the money.

They had one more night here and then would be heading down the coast towards Cape Caem and eventually, and finally, on to Altissia. After months of traversing around the continent they were finally able to move towards what had been at their goal at their initial outset. They were only able to finally able to formulate a plan with Cid to repair an old boat of his to bypass the travel restrictions and even then the timing had to be just so. It made sense to take these last few days to rest and relax in preparation for what would probably end up going poorly – if their previous adventures were any indication.

Prompto sighed and decided that dwelling on their problems would only exacerbate them. He grabbed his camera and made his way out to the restaurant. This early in the morning there wasn't much activity, just a few old timers enjoying an early cup of coffee on the docks and a group of chatty early birds sitting in a far corner.

"You got a Sunrise Special ready?" Prompto asked the cute server.

"I can have it ready in just a moment," she nodded with a smile.

Prompto handed over some gil and she set to work, first handing him a glass of orange juice. There was some movement behind him and Prompto turned, expecting Gladiolus but finding a tall stocky man with a flashy fauhawk.

"Hey Dino," Prompto said, greeting their perennial acquaintance. The freelance goldsmith looked to be in good health and even better spirits, but then he always wore a conspiratorial smirk of self-assurance.

"You enjoying the early morning too, eh?" Dino asked.

"I will as soon as I get some bacon and eggs in me," Prompto replied. "How goes the shiny things?"

"Shiny things always sell well," Dino laughed. He rapped on the counter and the server turned, though her smile seemed a bit more forced upon seeing him. "I'll have what he's having."

"You got it," the server replied curtly.

"She still won't go out with me," Dino whispered. He then gestured to one of the waiters who was pouring coffee for chatty table. "Neither will he."

"Hard luck, huh?" Prompto asked, taking a sip of his juice.

"Well, I'm thinking about moving on to greener pastures. Maybe try to find some way out to Lestallum. Could use a little more spice in my life," Dino sighed leaning back in his chair. "But what would I do without this place?"

"Maybe annoy less of the patrons," Prompto replied.

"You're cute," Dino said, patting him on the back. "I do have that last piece you guys commissioned by the way."

Dino reached into his satchel and pulled out a brilliant circlet of silver with two small but perfectly cut sapphires on each end. Whatever his other flaws, Dino was truly a master at his craft.

"This is great, man!" Prompto slid the wristlet on. The power from the gemstones seemed to ripple through his body for a moment before eventually settling into the back of his mind.

"What can I say, you guys pay for quality work and you get quality work," Dino nodded.

The server walked up to the counter with two plates of sunny-side up eggs, bacon, sausage links and toast. The two men took a moment to begin devouring the meal. The server then handed Dino his orange juice and grabbed a small liquor bottle.

"I trust you want yours 'special'?" She asked.

Dino nodded and the server mixed in a bit of the clear liquor. She stirred it casually and then took Dino's gil.

"To living the life of an artisan. We may never be rich in coin but we will be rich in spirit," Dino said raising his glass. "Although I probably will be rich in coin too."

Prompto met the salute with his own glass. "To living the life of an artist. I'll die penniless and forgotten and my work will be misinterpreted and labeled 'derivative'."

"Good to set some goals for yourself, eh?" Dino chuckled, downing the beverage in one gulp. "Lady! Another one, if you please!"

"Getting drunk already?" Prompto asked.

"If you're drunk at 6 AM, you're not drunk _already_ , you are drunk _still,_ " Dino replied. He downed another glass in one gulp and then stood up. "Well buddy, I have wares to go peddle. I'll be at the usual place if you want to chat. Or buy something."

Once Dino had left the area the server leaned over to Prompto and in a half-whisper said. "You keep strange friends, you know."

Prompto shrugged. "You have no idea."

She looked down at Prompto's camera and smiled. "Take any good shots today, Prompto?"

Prompto immediately felt self-conscious that he hadn't memorized this girl's name yet despite how long they'd been there and he tried to surreptitiously glance at her name badge.

"Uh, not really Cockatrice," Prompto blustered.

The server rubbed her forehead and then overtly held her namebadge out for Prompto to see.

"Sorry, Coctura," Prompto chuckled. "Blame it on... my own stupidity."

"You're lucky you're cute," Coctura sighed. She then returned to the original subject. "Anything to show me?

"Like I said they're really not that great," Prompto said, though he handed over his camera anyways.

Coctura scanned through the landscapes he'd taken earlier that day and made various impressed sounds. "They all seem pretty great to me."

"They're technically proficient. But they're missing something. They don't really have the right soul you know?" Prompto explained.

"Photographs have souls?" Coctura teased.

"You know what I mean," Prompto chuckled. "I'm putting together a scrapbook of our journey with all these photos I've taken. I plan to give it to Noctis as a wedding present once this is all over and done with. You know to remind him of our journey. A lot of these shots are really great but they come at the expense of pouring through sometimes hundreds of shots. Every place we go I try to get _the_ shot. You know – the perfect photo."

"Sounds pretty ambitious. I'm sure Noctis will be happy with anything you give him." Coctura said, refreshing Prompto's drink.

"Maybe he will," Prompto nodded. "But I won't be satisfied unless I know I've given him my best work."

"Well you've still got some time. I'm sure you'll find something around here," Coctura said. She then turned the camera towards herself and made a weird face before snapping the picture. "There's a good candidate right there. On the house, but signatures will cost you 20 gil."

Prompto chuckled. "Thanks Coctura."

"Don't you mean Cockatrice?" She said handing his camera back.

"Not gonna live that one down am I?"

"Nope."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summer Abroad – Part 02**

Prompto walked down the long boardwalk that connected the main sea-top bungalow to the shoreline. A familiar cat pounced around the wooden walkway biting at scraps of fish dropped by guest. Prompto had been chewing on his last sausage link as he walked, but tossed the remains to the cat who took it hastily and scampered off.

The shops were just beginning to open up and people who'd been camping in the caravan and on tents near the shore were slowly starting to rise. Prompto looked over to the beach and saw Gladiolus walking up towards the dock. He was wearing grey swim trunks and a sleeveless shirt which were both soaking wet. His hair somehow seemed to be bone dry.

"Hey Gladio," Prompto said waving to him. "Did you go swimming?"

Gladiolus shook his head. "Running through the water. The water resistance is the ultimate challenge. Imagine trying to move forward when your body wants to rise to the top."

"Does that really work on you? I mean you look like you sink like a stone," Prompto teased grabbing his camera.

"I'd be more worried about drowning yourself, stick figure," Gladio then gave him a resigned look realizing that, of course, Prompto was going to take a picture of this. He tossed Prompto a somewhat half-hearted grin as he took the photo.

"There we go. Sensei Gladiolus explains physics," Prompto declared.

"That could be your magnum opus. I mean it's got me in it so that's a good start," Gladiolus patted Prompto's shoulder causing a bit of the chilly ocean water still clinging to him to run down Prompto's arm. "I'm gonna get some grub. Are the others awake yet?"

"Ignis should be soon. Noctis will probably be a while."

Gladiolus shrugged. "Well it's good to know some things never change."

Gladiolus began to walk down towards the bungalow, leaving Prompto alone on the beach with his thoughts. He fired up the camera again and set to work. A black and white shot of the caravan, perhaps a soulful memory of youth camping? Nah, Prince Noctis didn't go camping and if he had they would have camped in a massive royal RV of some kind. Prompto fired off a few shots of the landscape around Galdin Quay. Prompto looked at each one and simply sighed.

"Postcards."

Getting quite desperate now he decided to take a few pictures of the Regalia with the sunrise. The sun shimmered off the new sporty white paint job, but that was it. Sparkle, glamour but no substance. He tried to recall the photos of his youth, but only sloppy skylines of Insomnia and a series of selfies showing his weight loss came to mind. He had developed his skill the same way old photos were developed – a lot of splashing about in the dark.

He sat down on the beach and leaned back against a tree. He made a mental note to have Noctis teach him how to fish because if there was ever a day to just sit on a pier and relax it was today. He turned the camera around and tried to force a weak smile, but all the came out was a sardonic grimace. He snapped the photo anyway and then took a look.

And there it was – a facsimile of him with the shadow of the long palm tree stretching out behind him, his eyes slightly shut from the pain of the sunlight. It was ungraceful, sloppy technique which no amount of cropping or filters could make look professional. And yet there was something honest about this sole candid shot. Prompto saved it.

"Artist Frustrated." he dubbed it.

A couple of girls walked by in swimsuits, one had the same curly blonde hair of the group's mechanic friend Cindy. For a moment, Prompto let his mind wander to the woman who occupied most of his thoughts. They'd be with her again soon. Maybe he would finally get the nerve to ask her out on a date.

"Don't stare at pretty girls too long," came Ignis's voice from the parking lot. Prompto turned to see him, Gladiolus and a groggy looking Noctis making their way towards him. "My grandmother says it'll make you go blind."

"You haven't been taking stalker shots have you?" Gladiolus asked. "I know it gets lonely with just us guys on the road."

Prompto stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "No when I get lonely I just try to think of your sister."

Gladiolus put up a warning hand with his finger outstretched. "Watch it."

"I dunno Gladio, I gotta agree with Prompto on this one. She is pretty cute," Noctis teased.

Gladiolus smacked his forehead. "Whatever. We got work to do."

"Work? I thought this was a vacation," Prompto protested.

"And if we want to continue to enjoy the vacation we have to make sure any potential party crashers don't ruin our fun," Gladiolus replied. "Don't worry it's some giant crabs. I'm sure Ignis will make something delicious out of the meat."

Ignis shook his head. "What those things gain in size they lose in flavor. We still have plenty of gil though and this little task will get us even more."

Prompto turned his camera about in his hands. "So... do you mind if I maybe hang back on this one? I'd like to try and get some shots."

"Sure thing," Noctis said – used to Prompto's eccentricity. "If I die be sure to get my good side."

They hiked down the shoreline towards the bluffs. This was a breeding ground for various crabs of all sizes, the normal edible variety and some larger fiends. Their mark today was three especially beefy looking crabs looking over the fishing grounds.

"Eyes up," Gladiolus warned as they crept up on their prey. "Giant enemy crab."

"Prompto you stay here and do try to take a few shots with your gun when your camera is satisified," Ignis said.

Noctis took the lead as he always did, warping directly into the center of the fray and going to work with his sword. Gladiolus was moments behind him, his greatsword cleaving one of the crabs giant shears in half. Ignis hung back tossing spells and the beasts trying not to hit Noctis or Gladiolus in the process.

Prompto fired off round after round. Unlike with stills or landscapes he knew that every frame might capture something that would be impossible for him to time. He tried to get a few shots of the battle as a whole but they were too far spread out. For a wild moment he thought of asking them to group up, but of course this would be dangerous and he would never hear the end of it.

Noctis came down hard from a mid-air leap, his sword felling the first of the three crabs. Gladiolus was had nearly finished his dismemberment of his foe and Ignis had just cooked his crab alive. From the smell alone Prompto knew that Ignis had been correct about the loss of flavor – a thick sickly sweet smell of carcass.

"Well Prompto, did you get anything worth your time?" Gladiolus asked.

The answer was "no" but he didn't want to admit that after he'd just done nothing. "Uh, we'll have to see, I was shooting like a madman."

Noctis patted Prompto on the shoulder and took the lead back towards Galdin Quay.

"Hey there will be plenty more battles for you to sit out," Gladiolus chuckled, giving Prompto a hard smack on the back.

Prompto let out an annoyed sigh and kept pace with them back to town.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summer Abroad – Part 03**

By: Jason Tandro

After grabbing a quick lunch Noctis decided to head to the docks to try his hand at a bit of fishing. Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto sat on the beach nearby. Gladiolus was reading as he usually did and Ignis was scrolling through his King's Knight roster preparing for that evenings game. Prompto's quest for the perfect photo however continued unabated – until Coctura showed up on the beach front in her two-piece.

"Hey you finally got off work," Prompto said, calling out to her.

"Yes, surprisingly I do more than just tend bar," she teased. "And if you want a shot of me in this I _will_ have to charge you."

"Dino would admire your mercenary spirit," Ignis said, setting his phone back down on his beach towel.

"Heh, yeah that's not all he admires," Coctura groaned. "Anyway wanna go for a swim?"

Prompto set his camera down and ripped off his shirt. "Yeah, you know I need to take a break."

He jumped into the water, splashing about a bit before he reached a deep enough point for him to truly float. Gladiolus and Coctura came in next, followed by Ignis. After a short while even Noctis set his fishing pole down on the dock and dove in to join them.

The gentle waves rocked them along the coast as they got into splash fights. Somebody, probably Gladiolus, suggested a chicken fight and before too long Prompto was sitting atop Gladiolus's shoulders and Coctura was sitting on Noctis's, the four of them getting into an epic shoving match as Ignis waded along the side acting as a sort of referee. Even with the stronger base Prompto had the coordination of a seasick hamster in the water and was eventually overpowered by Coctura, falling into the ocean with a loud splash.

Prompto stayed below the water for a brief moment to allow himself to collect his thoughts. Moments like these were the only things he could never truly capture on camera. He could never quite get the small, honest moments of fun and friendship down. It always was too posed, too staged. Then again, maybe these moments weren't meant to be captured. Maybe they were only able to be truly recalled by the mind and never pinned down to an image. Maybe that's what made them special.

Prompto resurfaced and took in a big gasp of air.

"You good Prompto?" Gladiolus asked swimming over to him.

"I'm good," he nodded. "Just hurt pride is all."

There was suddenly a massive gust of wind from above and an enormous shadow was cast upon the shoreline. The group looked overhead as a shrill shriek pierced their ears. An enormous bird swooped low over Galdin Quay and towards the bluffs.

"Whoa, big bird," Noctis observed.

There was the rapid fire sound of a camera clicking, but it wasn't Prompto. Up ahead on the shoreline a large man in a sweaty white T-shirt was taking shot after shot of the massive fiend.

"Vyv!" Prompto called out, swimming towards the shoreline. The group followed Prompto back to shore where the large man was waiting for them. He had a messy ponytail and stubble at the perfect length to show that he wasn't trying to grow a beard but he also didn't have the convenience (or desire) to shave daily.

"Hey guys. Enjoying the heat wave?" Vyv said.

"More or less. What brings you here from Lestallum?" Ignis asked.

"Snapping photos of the local flora and fauna. I'm trying to put together a piece about summer wildlife and what have you. Actually was going to ask Dino if he wanted to write the thing. You know he's still got that reporter instinct even if he's given it up to go full time with his crafting," Vyv explained.

"That sounds like fun. And if you can get Dino off my back even better," Coctura replied.

"Yeah he's a reckless individual. Comes from the high profile life he's used to living, I guess. He needs to learn to just go with the flow like me," Vyv said proudly gesturing to himself.

Personally Prompto thought that there was a happy medium between the two men, but he kept this thought to himself.

"Anything I can do to help?" Prompto asked. "You know I'm a bit of a photographer myself."

Vyv laughed. "Yeah, I was fixing to ask you guys for your usual help. I won't dare get too close to that bird. I'm great with the action shots but a shot of that things nest is what I really want."

"This vacation is turning into our usual routine," Noctis sighed.

"We wouldn't want to get too out of practice, now would we Your Highness," Ignis replied confidently.

"Hey I'll only need your guys help if I screw up and wake the bird. I'm doing all the risky stuff," Prompto said.

"But that also means you'll be having all the fun," Gladiolus chuckled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summer Abroad – Part 04**

by: Jason Tandro

Prompto awoke in the backseat of the Regalia and felt two forms of distinct pains at once: physical pain, and damaged ego. It only took him a few seconds to remember what had happened and why he felt so wounded.

The group had managed to get nice and close to the enormous bird as it slumbered. The hulking avian was large enough to swallow any of them whole, with jet black wings and a spiked tail. Prompto wasn't really sure how he was going to get the creature into a single frame. He set to work from as distant as he could get, which up on the bluff was not that far back.

He snapped a few decent shots – one of its head, one of its tail, several range shots of about 1/3rd of the creatures body. Even with a wide angle lens he'd never get more than half of this thing in frame at one time.

Things seemed to be going okay. Until Prompto accidentally hit the trigger for his flash and fired off a shot directly at the bird's eye. The Roc woke, startled and brushed Prompto off the side of the cliff before going back to sleep.

The good news was that Prompto had taken his fair share of falls and was fine. The bad news was that his camera was not. The group rushed down to ground level and dragged him into the car where they hastily sped back to Galdin Quay.

Prompto looked down at his camera and cursed his luck. All of his shots from earlier in the day would be destroyed. The storage card was split in half along with the body.

"We'll get you a new one Prompto, don't worry about it," Noctis said, trying to cheer him up.

"Not in Galdin Quay," Gladiolus added. "They have a lot of stuff, but camera stores ain't one of them."

"I'd rather have this one fixed anyway," Prompto said. "It's important to me."

"Do you think Cid would be able to repair it?" Ignis asked.

"Probably. He knows his machines. But he's all the way out in Cape Caem now with Iris and Cindy," Prompto replied.

"Well then what say we simply head out to Cape Caem?" Gladiolus asked. "After we let Vvy know what's going on, of course."

"Are you sure guys? I mean we had one more day planned at the coast," Prompto said.

"We'll still be at the coast, strictly speaking. Just quite a bit further down it," Ignis offered.

They parked the Regalia just outside Galdin Quay to allow for a quick getaway. Their first stop was to Vyv, who was surprisingly calm about the whole situation.

"Hey, sometimes you hit a spot of bad luck in this business. I appreciate you guys trying," he said jovially.

"Thanks Vyv," Prompto said, bowing.

"It's all good kid. I hope Cid can fix your camera for you."

They then decided it would only be fair to bid farewell to Dino and Coctura as well. Plus they had to grab a bite for the road. Sitting down at the restaurant they ate their last plate of fresh Galdin seafood for the season.

"I'm gonna miss having you boys around," Coctura said. "You're more interesting than the usual crowd that's for sure."

"Well I'm sure we'll be back sometime," Gladiolus said with a mouth full of crab. "If only for the food."

"The best dish around here is you, sugar," Dino said with a wink as he slid up next to the group.

"Thanks for that," Coctura said dryly as she went to fetch his usual.

"You'll miss me when I'm gone, Coctura. I'm actually heading out myself," Dino explained.

"Oh really? You finally making that trip to Lestallum?" Prompto asked.

"No I've got my mind set on a prettier jewel. I'm going to Altissia. I have a contact who can get me there by boat," Dino replied. "Figure I may as well see the jewel of the ocean while I can."

Something suddenly occurred to Prompto and he decided to take a shot in the dark.

"Hey Dino, before you go, could I ask one more favor?" Prompto handed over his camera. "Any chance you can repair this?"

Dino looked it over. "Hmm... I can see why you think my skills with fine jewels might translate, but they don't. I don't know the first thing about fixing machinery, outside the tools I use to make accessories."

Prompto took back his camera and nodded. "Thanks anyways. So why are you going to Altissia?"

"Might be fun," Dino replied dismissively. "Hopefully I get to see you there sometime this summer. If you can make the trip it's one hell of a city."

The gang finished eating and said their final goodbyes to the two of them. It was the middle of the afternoon, but they could still make it most of the way to Cape Caem before nightfall. Prompto and Noctis took the backseat and Ignis drove.

Once again Gladiolus was absorbed into his book and no discussion with him would be welcome. Ignis also seemed to be concentrating more on the road and the music playing than anything happening in the car itself.

Noctis was on his phone but it was clear that he was just browsing randomly and was open for conversation.

"So, Noct, can I ask you something?" Prompto asked.

"Go ahead," Noctis replied.

"I've kind of just been taking pictures of whatever but is there anything you'd want to see more of?"

Noctis pondered on this for a moment. "Why not more shots of you? You're hardly in any of these."

Prompto rubbed the back of his head. "Uh... yeah I guess I never really thought about that. It's hard to be the guy behind the camera and also in front of the camera."

"Well you should include yourself more. I mean you're part of the team too and when we look back on these photos I'm going to have to explain who that random guy is in a few of the shots," Noctis teased.

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that. I'm still not as scary as Gladio though," Prompto replied.

"I'm not deaf up here, twinkie," Gladiolus warned curtly.

"Sorry boss. I meant to say you are a dashing rogue and your scars only showcase your rugged masculinity," Prompto said.

"Heh. And I meant to say that you are really light on your feet. So light in fact that the tiniest shiting of a bird's wings can knock you off a cliff," Gladiolus laughed.

"Sick burn. I'm gonna hit on your sister," Prompto shot back.

"With Cindy there?" Gladiolus asked incredulously.

Prompto paused for a moment and then looked over to Noctis. "Noct is gonna hit on your sister then."

Noctis shrugged. "He's not wrong."

The rest of the car trip was eerily quiet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summer Abroad - Part 5**

The Regalia seemed to soar through the mostly empty highway along the southern coast. It's a shame that not many people came this way, the natural beauty of the ocean front was truly a sight to behold. Every few feet Prompto instinctively reached for his camera only to remember its current state and ending up with a small twinge of depression. He took a few snaps from his phone out of desperation, but the quality, while not terrible, was not up to his standards. Nothing compared to the real thing.

The sun had set just before they arrived at Cape Caem, making the massive lighthouse beacon their only sign that they had the right place. There was the twisting knife of nerves in their stomachs as they cautiously made their way up to the buildings – night time meant daemons. But fortunately none decided to show up.

They knocked on the door of a cabin that sat at the edge of the cliff near the lighthouse. The old wooden building stood two stories and at present housed some of the bros' favorite people. It was Iris who opened the door, fresh in an adorable set of blue moogle pajamas. Cindy sat on the couch in the living room in a decidedly more casual evening attire of shorts and a t-shirt.

"Hey guys! You weren't due here for another day," Iris said, giving Gladiolus a big hug.

"Plans changed," Ignis replied. "Nothing urgent just thought we could use a change of scenery. And Cid's expert hand."

Prompto dejectedly held up the scrap that was his camera. Cindy stood up and looked it over. "Oh you poor thing."

She pulled Prompto into a hug. The comforting gesture was a little more than comforting to Prompto who began to blush profusely.

"Uh... it's okay I think Cid can get it working again," Prompto said.

Cindy let go of Prompto. Prompto opted to stand behind the waist-high couch.

"Cid nothing, I can get this thing up and running for you by morning," Cindy said. "I know everything the old man does and I'm better with this kind of stuff anyways."

"Between cars and cameras you sure know how to fix everything we love," Gladiolus chuckled.

"All that and I make some mean burgers when the mood strikes me," Cindy laughed. "But for proper food I suspect you'll want to turn to Miss Iris here."

"Oh, that's right! We weren't expecting company but I can fix up something quick!" Iris said.

"Don't bother," Noctis said. "We can just grab whatever's handy."

"I've got my Cup Noodle," Gladiolus insisted.

"And they've got Ebony here," Ignis nodded, pouring himself a cup of the coffee.

"I'm not too hungry to be honest," Prompto said, sliding over the couch into a position next to where Cindy would be seated.

She disappointed him however by moving over to the table in the corner and setting to work on the camera. Noctis sat next to him in her place and gave him an encouraging shoulder tap. Noctis knew all too well about Prompto's near obsession with Cindy. Prompto wasn't exactly a ladies man though. When it came to his interactions with the opposite sex he was about as graceful as a drunk chocobo. Kind of looked like one too with his hair.

"Hey man, want to catch some air?" Noctis asked.

"What's that?" Prompto shook his head in confusion.

Noctis smacked his chest. "Get up man. Follow."

The two walked out the front door and strolled up to the lighthouse. They sat on the far side of the cliff, looking out over the vast sea and the low hanging moon. Yet another gorgeous sight that Prompto wanted a photo of.

"So. Are you ever going to man up and tell Cindy how you feel?" Noctis asked.

"Uh... can I get back to you on that?" Prompto replied nervously.

"You know nothing is ever going to happen if you keep freezing up around her," Noctis explained.

"Hey she's a really good friend and I'm worried about making things weird."

Noctis tossed a pebble off the cliff. "Because things are not awkward at all now."

"I'm sorry am I getting romantic advice from the guy with an arranged marriage?" Prompto teased.

Noctis shrugged. "Okay, you're right. Maybe I'm not the best coach either. All I know is you ought to just go for it and see what happens."

"So you're saying I waltz right in that cabin door and go 'Hey Cindy, I love you.'"

"Maybe not quite that fast," Noctis stroked his chin. "We'd need to manufacture a sort of date for you two to start hitting it off."

"Are you talking about something terribly private or can I join you all for the moment?" Came the voice of Ignis from down the hill.

"Nothing serious, just Prompto's love life," Noctis explained.

Prompto sighed. "A brief and disappointing topic."

Ignis walked up to the two and sat down beside them. "Still trying to win Cindy's affection?"

"How do you know?" Prompto asked.

"You are about as subtle as a young man standing behind a couch to hide his... interest," Ignis explained.

Prompto blushed and rubbed his forehead. "It's just... she wasn't wearing a bra under that shirt man."

"Don't go full pervert on me," Noctis said.

"Indeed. If you have any plans to woo her, you would probably do best to focus less on her physical attributes. Don't ignore them entirely, of course, but perhaps getting you two together for, say, a dinner date might be a start," Ignis suggested.

"That was more or less my idea. But I don't know if that would really work here on the Cape," Noctis explained. "We'd need to find a way to get those two alone without Cindy realizing they're going to be alone."

"Deception. The promising start to any lasting relationship," Ignis quipped sarcastically. "But if that is the best we can do the answer seems obvious. Arrange a fishing trip with you three. Then you, Noctis, forget something and have to rush back here urgently. It should give them several minutes alone together."

"That's not a bad idea Iggy," Noctis nodded approvingly.

"Uh, wait, don't I get a say in this?" Prompto asked, waving his hands in sudden desperation. His date with Cindy was being planned for him and it was growing increasingly obvious that he had no idea what to do. "I mean so we're alone. Then what?"

Noctis smirked. "Well for starter's you'll need to find a waist-high boulder."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summer Abroad – Part 06**

 _Author's Note: So yeah it's been a long while since an update. Sorry about that. Life (ahem, Stormblood) got in the way and ate up a huge chunk of my time, as well as other legitimate IRL things, work, parenting, etc. No real news just felt I should apologize!_

The following morning the trio awoke with the sun. That is to say Prompto and Cindy woke with the sun and they in turn managed to drag Noctis out of bed. The shaggy-haired Prince managed to grab his vest and tackle box before remembering that he was supposed to leave something behind. He deftly set his tackle box back on the ground and the group almost managed to leave without it before Cindy ruined everything.

"Hey Noct. We can't go fishing without your tackle!" She said, handing him the small metal pouch stuffed with lures and rigging.

"Oh... thank you," Noctis nodded.

Just as no battle plan survives contact with the enemy, no surreptitious hookup plan ever survived contact with a woman, and Prompto and Noctis were forced to do something that neither of them had any particular skill for outside combat- improvisation. Prompto would rather be facing down a daemon at the moment because with that taking potshots from his pistol were like shooting the perfect scene with his camera. See the image in your head, aim, adjust and fire. Of course his photos didn't usually end up bleeding. Here he could see no image except embarrassment and could adjust nothing apart from how exactly how terrible things wound up.

Noctis wasn't faring any better. He had shoved Prompto into this situation and was now locked into a situation with no easy alibi to excuse himself. They moved slowly down towards the rocky shores in what ended up feeling like a death march to the two boys, while the oblivious Cindy strolled merrily down to the water.

"Well boys let's get to it," Cindy said, taking out her own fishing rod – a mechanical marvel which unfolded from a contraption the size of a clutch. The finished product was a collection of gears and steel with a line running through various pulley systems – a wonder of engineering. But for her brilliance at machinery, Cindy was a poor fisher and as Noctis and Prompto sat quietly tending their own lines, Cindy grew steadily more annoyed at her missteps.

"Dang it all, these fish just won't bite," Cindy spat. "Hey, Noct. Any pointers for the novice here?"

Noctis saw his opening and he wasn't going to miss it. "Uh, your rod is a little bit advanced for one thing. You need something simpler."

"Simpler?" Cindy asked.

Just as the first great inventors might have seemed liked wizards to early mankind, an expert can spout pure bullshit to a beginner and it will still carry gold-clad authority.

"Yeah, the line is too taut. It makes your lure move in a weird way that fish don't like. I actually have a spare rod I left at the cabin that might work better for you," Noctis said.

Cindy was not making this easy. "But this is the rod my daddy used to use and it always seemed to work for him."

Noctis was in too deep. He had to compound the lie. "Yes... but Cid is a good fisher. He knows how to compensate for the line. A different lure might also suit you better, but I really think a simple rod would be best."

"Well... if you're sure," Cindy finally relented, withdrawing her rod and folding it back up.

Noctis made his way slowly up the hill and as soon as he crested the bush line, Prompto decided it was best to start making his move, not least because he knew for a fact that Noctis only had one spare rod and Prompto was currently using it.

"So Cindy," Prompto said, leaning closer to her. "I want to say thank you again working on my camera."

He pulled out the device now restored to its former pristine condition, with a few noticeable touch-ups that Cindy added. He slung the cord around his neck and let the camera slide down to his chest to free up his hands.

"Well shucks it's not a big deal, Prompto. I'm always happy to help out a friend," Cindy smiled.

"Yeah well. I still really appreciate it. You're... a good girl you know?" Prompto froze up. Years passed in the three seconds of silence before Prompto threw caution to the wind and tried to course correct his idiotic statement. "I-I-I mean you're a great girl... woman. I mean you're awesome and I really like what you do to me, DID FOR ME. Oh... crap, I..."

Prompto babbled for a few more moments before his words were eventually carried off by the crashing waves. Cindy sat puzzled for a moment but then things began to click into place. She sighed.

"Noct's not getting a spare rod is he?" She chuckled.

"He's... probably just waiting in the bushes to see what we do," Prompto confessed.

"Well you get an A for Effort and about a C- in manliness," Cindy laughed. "If you liked me you oughta just come right out and say it."

Prompto rubbed the back of his head. "I'm... sure that would have been simpler now."

"Well, don't lose hope kiddo. At least now you're on my radar," Cindy said. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then turned to walk back up to the cabin. She rounded the corner and stopped. Putting her hand to her forehead she called out. "Hey Noct!"

Noctis reacted by falling out of the bush and landing on the beach below less than gracefully.

Prompto walked over to him and helped him up. "Well... I guess that's something."

"I missed it, what happened?" Noctis asked.

"You fell out of the bush," Prompto quipped.

"I meant before that, obviously," Noctis retorted.

Prompto rubbed the spot where Cindy kissed him. "She said I'm 'on her radar'. I guess that means she'll consider going out with me. Well... I guess if I 'man up'."

"Just be happy she didn't push you into the ocean. After all that bumbling I thought for sure you were going to scare her off."

"And yet I am upright and you just got caught hiding in plants," Prompto said. "I will take this to mean that I am the new alpha male and as such I expect appropriate treatment from my pack. Let's start with actually catching a fish because all this 'bumbling' makes a man hungry."

Noctis laughed and readied his line for the first catch of the day.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summer Abroad – Part 07**

The cabin was abuzz around lunchtime. Noctis had managed to catch several sea bass and the place became a fish fry tag team: Noctis would gut and scale the fish, Gladiolous would sear them and Ignis would spice them. Prompto was made into a waiter, taking the finished plates to Iris, Cid and somewhat awkwardly to Cindy.

The smell of meat and bell peppers created a heavenly aroma worthy of Galdin Quay, though the olfactory undercurrent of the innards of the fish was decidedly less appealing. Even so it was one of the best lunches they'd had in a while, considering they didn't have to pay for it.

"So, your camera is working once more thanks to Cindy's ingenuity. What do you plan to do with it?" Ignis asked.

"The quest continues," Prompto said dryly, taking a bite out of his fish. "I have to find the perfect photo for Noct's wedding."

"Not a bad opportunity right now We're all together, having fun, eating food we cooked together," Ignis offered.

Prompto rubbed the back of his head. "We're inside, the lighting is terrible and..."

His thoughts betrayed him as he cast a sideways glance at Cindy who was animatedly chatting with Iris. The camera honestly had slipped from his mind in light of the morning's events and the rest of their journey along the coast was beginning to seem fairly directionless.

"Your thoughts are on something besides photography at the moment," Ignis observed. "I thought a distraction might do you some good. I heard the whole thing was a quite a fiasco. Though not necessarily an entirely bad one."

"I have to man up," Prompto said. "Don't know if I can exactly do that with a camera."

"Why not?" Ignis asked. "Being a brave man does not always mean holding a weapon. In fact some of the bravest men I ever knew never even lifted a sword. They lived longer too."

"I still don't get how that helps me with my present situation," Prompto replied.

Ignis let out a small frustrated sigh. "Do you know why you are so gifted at photography as well as sharpshooting? At first glance two completely different skill sets."

"Enlighten me, Iggy."

"You _see_ very well. I don't just mean you have extraordinary vision, I mean you are able to very quickly deduce what is needed in a situation at just a glance. Have you ever stopped to consider your own gift? I have seen you place a bullet in moving target right between the eyes as it moved erratically around the field. That takes more than just precision, it takes an almost superhuman level of observation."

"I guess you're right," Prompto replied, rubbing his chin. "You know I never really thought of it like that-"

"So could you please tell me why you are still so unbelievably dense?" Ignis asked.

Prompto stopped mid gesture and turned a wild sweeping of his hand into a brush through his hair. "Uh... what?"

"Cindy does not want you to go and show how insanely masculine you are. She is not asking you to fell some wild beast at her behest, or deliver her a treasure worthy of a queen or some other blindingly stupid task. She is asking you to be direct and honest," Ignis explained.

"So... I should just go up there and plant one on her?" Prompto asked.

"No, you should have Noctis set up another of his clever little diversions," Ignis sighed. "But no, I don't think that would be exactly the right measure either. Especially not with Cid present. She'd slap you and then he'd finish you off."

"So what do I do?"

"Something," Ignis said simply. He stood up and took his and Prompto's plates to the sink.

 _Great. So were you being really smart just then or did you not have an actual answer_ , Prompto thought bitterly.

The afternoon waned and before long the sun was setting once more and Prompto found himself wandering the shores where he'd been that morning. He tried to remember Cindy's more affectionate gesture before things had gotten twisted. The knot in his stomach served as a harsh reminder.

He imagined her being kidnapped by the Empire. He imagined her being locked in a cell, bound hand and foot with no hope of rescue. Then he would ride in on a chocobo, blazing a path through the base with his bullets. He would take down the commander, charge into the brig and free her. He would cut loose her bonds, take the gag out of her mouth and pull her close to him.

And then she would say "sorry, you're not manly enough for me" and go off with Gladio.

"Damn it," Prompto hissed, kicking a pebble into the ocean.

The summer wind wasn't the same. There was a harsh chill to it. Autumn was approaching. It seemed to come faster every year, and the nights grew steadily longer. He took out his camera and sat down on the rocks. How could he do it? How could he capture the wind? How could he take a picture of the smell of the saltwater? The sound of the crashing waves? How could he give an image to convey everything that made the moment what it was?

He _saw_ very well. Photography was a visual medium. But if could not convey the other senses. It might imply them, it might make somebody remember how a certain place sounded, smelt, felt. But it wouldn't be a true representation of those places – just a shadow.

He laid down, letting the spray splash over him, faintly covering him with seawater. He put the camera back in his protective pouch and took in the moment. Everything around him. For a few moments a sort of meditative bliss washed over him. A feeling of oneness with the cosmos. A realization that he was just one spec of organic matter in an infinite and unknowable universe full of things that would never be touched by the flash of a camera, nor destroyed by a bullet, nor scared away by his unbelievable ineptitude. A strange zenlike trance ensued, brought about this moment of self-abnegation and for a moment Prompto was at peace.

Then he fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summer Abroad – Part 08**

The morning came and Prompto awoke to Noctis kneeling over him. He rolled out of the way of an incoming "wake up" smack and put his hands up in defense.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Prompto shouted. "Jeez, Noct, you're scary in the morning."

"You're the guy who fell asleep on a rock," Noct observed.

Prompto cracked his back and began to stretch his arms. "We've slept in worse conditions before."

Noct shrugged. "So we came to a decision last night."

"Uh, decision. Without me?" Prompto asked, feeling slightly hurt that he hadn't been included.

"Well we didn't want to disturb your beauty sleep," Noct replied. "We're heading to Altissia a bit early. Figure we'll get the drop on the Imperials that way."

"Oh man," Prompto said, taking a seat on a nearby boulder. "So... this is it then, huh? The marriage and... all that."

"Yep, I guess so," Noct nodded.

Prompto was sure Noct was dealing with a massive rush of emotions of his own, but right now all he could think of was the fact that the time to find his ideal wedding photo had now been cut down dramatically. It would take maybe three _days_ to prepare everything for the wedding which was significantly less than as many weeks.

"Look, I know you're planning some kind of big photo surprise for me for my wedding present and I just want you to know it's really okay. Any old photo will do. What's more important for me is just having all of you guys there," Noctis said.

 _It's okay to you, but it's not okay to me,_ Prompto thought, digging a line in the sand with his foot. Noctis did not understand the artist's struggle.

"I appreciate that, Noct," Prompto nodded. "But hey we're going to be in Altissia. I'm sure I'll find a great shot there."

"Yeah, I bet you will."

There was a quiet moment, the sound of the waves swallowing the words left unspoken between the two.

"So, the girls are staying behind, of course. Which means if you have any big plans for Cindy you might have to put them on hold for a while," Noctis said.

"I don't suppose you want to kidnap her so I can rescue her all heroic like?" Prompto chuckled.

"Nah, the wedding would probably be ruined if Cid killed the groom. Or Cindy for that matter, she can be scary at times," Noctis said, recalling their encounter from two day's prior.

"Right. Well I better go grab a shower then and start packing," Prompto said, leaping off the boulder and making his way up to the cabin.

Prompto stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off. He heard the busy shuffling out in the main room as Ignis, Gladiolus and Noct were putting all their stuff together and getting ready to go. He had maybe thirty minutes to spare and he had to use them wisely. As he psyched himself up he heard the commotion just outside the door.

"Okay, Prompto, listen to me. You are going to walk right up to Cindy and you're going to kiss her goodbye. Man up," Prompto said to himself.

"No, Gladiolus, the cup noodle goes in the food bag, you can't stash it in your private backpack," Ignis said to the would-be hoarder Gladio.

"I can do this. She basically flat out asked you to do this," Prompto continued.

"Noctis, you need to roll up the bedrolls before putting them away. That's why they are called bedrolls," Ignis added.

"I'm going to show her what kind of man I am."

"Iggy will you stop bossing everybody around?" Gladio barked.

"It's getting pretty old. We're gonna have a long boat ride," Noct said.

"I am... ready for this," Prompto felt his arms sagging a bit.

"I'm not trying to boss you around, I'm just making certain that everything is packed properly," Ignis said.

"You know it's my wedding day, I feel like you all should be doing this for me," Noctis offered.

"Oh your wedding isn't for at least three days, you still have to plan it," Iris chimed in.

"I... should probably go pack..." Prompto sighed.

Twenty minutes of packing later and Gladiolus, Noct and Cid began to move their luggage down to the boat. There was an elevator in the lighthouse which led down to the dock beneath Cape Caem. Cid's boat was a quick speedster that could make the journey across the channel to Altissia in maybe a half hour. Prompto's time was running out. Ignis and Iris were giving their farewells as Ignis packed the last bits of the food supplies, while also stocking up on his spice belt.

Prompto went outside the cabin and saw Cindy waiting by the door.

"Hey," she said. "Iggy about ready?"

"I think he's raiding your spice rack. That guy loves stuff you put on food more than stuff you eat," Prompto said nervously.

 _That was a well-constructed thought_ , he moaned internally.

Cindy laughed. "I guess so. I'm gonna miss having you boys around."

 _Just do it. Move in. Kiss her._ Prompto took one step forward and his thought process took a rapid 180. _She WILL punch you. She WILL scream. Cid WILL kill you. STOP._

"Uh... look," Prompto said, deciding on a middle ground between his reckless plan and his earlier stupidity. "I do like you a lot. And when the time comes I want to try to get to know you better. I'm obviously dealing with all this right now and I didn't exactly express myself too well."

"That's for sure," Cindy said with a small chuckle, but it was clear from her facial expression that this wasn't a derisive laugh.

"So. I guess I'll just say that when I'm done traveling with Noct, how about I take you out to dinner or... something," Prompto said.

"That's all you had to do, Prompto!" Cindy said in an almost exasperated way. She let out another small laugh and then sighed. "Alright then. It's a date."

Prompto nodded and didn't seem to know what to do with his hands for a moment.

"Now this is where you kiss me," Cindy said, as if instructing a rookie.

"Right, sorry, wasn't sure," Prompto said.

He leaned in and kissed her. It was like the world stopped moving. The sounds of the ocean, the rush of the seabreeze, and everything going on inside Prompto's mind was focused into one singular moment of triumphant ecstasy.

Then Iris let out a catcall and ruined the whole moment.

"Cindy and Prompto? No way! Super cute, guys!" She shouted.

"Well, I guess my advice didn't fall on deaf ears," Ignis smirked.

Cindy blushed slightly and rubbed her forehead. "You deal with Iggy, I'll smack the brat."

Iris ran inside for cover and Cindy chased after her. Ignis walked down the steps and moved past Prompto towards the lighthouse.

"Well done," Ignis said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah," Prompto smiled.

He had done it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summer Abroad – Part 09**

Cid's boat rocketed across the waves and Prompto had to hang on tight to the railings to avoid being thrown off. He felt like he might be getting motion sick but he had no time to process it. The small windscreen near the driver's side didn't seem to affect him out here on the stern of the vessel where he foolishly tried to snap a few pictures. His camera was good – great, in fact – but getting a steady shot when you weren't even able to keep steady yourself was practically impossible.

The ship finally started to slow down as they reached the barrier island surrounding Altissia proper. A long line of buoys guided ships into a canal which ferried the outer vessels into Altissia Harbor. A massive marble archway towered overhead as they entered the canal. The canal was flanked by rows of statues heralding their entrance into the city. Off in the distance, just beyond the town, Prompto could see the waterfalls from the backside of the crescent island which flowed into the caldera where Altissia sat. Even as they entered they noticed a considerable gap between the canal they were floating in and the actual bottom of the lake.

"It's like a hole in the earth that flooded. This is the realm of Leviathan?" Gladiolus asked.

"The Astral has protected this place in ancient times, though its connection to it now seems to be waning," Ignis said.

Noctis shook his head. "The Astrals don't really seem to care about humans most of the time. I'm sure Leviathan is the same way. But I'd rather not worry about it until I have to. We have a couple of days to enjoy ourselves, so let's just do that."

Prompto was already starting to do just that, since the boat's newfound steadiness had allowed him to snap more than a handful of shots of the entryway and canal. But the finest jewel was Altissia itself, an absolutely sprawling city built upon the water. The palace in the acropolis overlooked a city of brilliant white buildings sorted amongst evenly spaced districts. Statues decorated the lakes and canals, and the sight of gondolas carrying passengers to and fro dotted every gap between them.

"If you can't find something pretty to shoot here, I don't think it exists in the world," Ignis said.

"Tell me about it," Prompto nodded, feeling a renewed burst of energy he'd not felt in quite a while. Their travels had led them to some amazing vistas before, but after a while one scenic patch of plains looked very much like another scenic patch of plains. But here was fresh territory – a new stamping ground to leave his photographic mark upon.

"Group selfie before we get off the boat!" Prompto announced.

"You boys have your fun, I gotta steer this thing or we'll go tumbling over the edge of this canal and end our trip real damn quick," Cid said.

Ignis, Noctis, and Gladiolus all stood up with their backs to the city. Prompto took center stage as he aligned his shot. He rapid-fired about a dozen pictures before the boat shook and knocked them all off balance.

"Sorry, that's the loading zone for ya," Cid said. "We're off the canal and in the city waters. Let's park this thing and get something to eat before I leave."

Actually walking through the streets of Altissia was an entirely different story from viewing the brilliant city from afar. On foot it seemed very similar to other large cities they'd been to before, and nothing at all like Insomnia from whence they'd come. But it was not without its own unique charms, and Cid knew a few of them himself.

They boarded a gondola and Cid told the pilot to take them to a small waterside market known as Maagho. At first, Prompto wasn't sure why they didn't just walk there. Then it became apparent. Maagho was in a small cove underneath one of the larger buildings and only accessible by gondola. The center of the square platform served as a bar while the edges had numerous seafood and spice shops operated out of custom boats.

At the back of the bar was a dark-skinned middle-aged man with a fine beard and pristine garments. He emanated a regal bearing, his gold monocle shimmering in the lamplight and his hearty barman smile barely concealing what was clearly a noble upbringing.

He noticed the group at once and his smile grew even wider. "Cid!"

"Weskham you old git, how have you been keepin'?" Cid called, slapping him on the back.

"Better than you I'd wager, you drunken cur," Weskham replied. "And this must be the Crown Prince?"

"Oh yeah, introductions. Uh, Noctis, this is Weskham Armaugh. He was with your dad, Cor and me back in the day. Weskham, this is Noctis Lucis Caelum, prince and about thirty other fancy titles I ain't got time for," Cid said.

"Just Noctis is fine," Noctis said humbly.

"So you're here for the wedding eh?" Weskham asked, folding his arms. "A fine girl you've got there, Miss Lunafreya. Why if I was about twenty years younger..."

"If you were twenty years younger, you'd still be ten years too old for that girl," Cid said with a grin. "But who the hell am I to stand in the way of love. Hell, my daughter fancies some pencil-necked blondie."

Cid gave a knowing nod towards Prompto, who lost about five years of his own life in the process.

"Well, I uh... I guess he's a lucky guy," Prompto replied.

"He's a god damned idiot is what he is, but if he makes my girl happy, so be it," Cid said, rubbing his chin. "Anyway, I don't have time to babysit. Weskham, hate to cut the reunion short, but maybe you should drag your old bones to Hammerhead sometime. I've got a job to do, and this kid's gotta get married."

Weskham nodded. "I suppose we all have our role to play."

"You ain't kidding," Cid said, hopping back into the gondola. "Boys, the rest is in your hands. Do me a favor and try not to get yourself killed."

"It's just a wedding what could go wrong?" Noctis asked sarcastically.

"It could stick," Cid replied simply. He then turned to the pilot. "Get me back to the docks and step on it, I wanna get home before sundown."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summer Abroad – Part 10**

 _Author's Note: Please forgive the inconsistency in the release of this fic. I was actually doing well at first but it is difficult to write an upbeat fic during a difficult time in one's life. I am hoping to finish this over the next couple of days so please be patient with me. Thank you._

The next morning was one of the most exciting in Prompto's life. Noctis had to go deal with certain political affairs which meant that he had almost an entire day to explore Altissia to his hearts content. The city was dwarfed by the capitol of Lucis, Insomnia, if one measured worth in size. But Altissia seemed to be teeming with life. It was hard to explain exactly how alive the city felt, and Prompto was not sure he could convey it with words. But he was going to do his damndest to do it with pictures.

He started at the docks, which even at this early hour was bustling with activity. The ships traveling to and fro around the harbor. The fishermen at the edge of the water, some fishing for work and others for play. The tourists stopping at all the pier-side trinket shops. Perhaps it was the new location, or the sudden rapidly approaching deadline, but Prompto was feeling far more confident about the photos he was taking. There was such power behind them. These were no static landscapes and no mere poses. These were a blending of natural action of humans and the picturesque scenery.

"I'm on to something here," Prompto pondered aloud after snapping a particularly satisfying picture of a group of tourists waving to a gondolier.

"You look like you're having fun," came a familiar and delightfully cocky voice.

Prompto looked upwind from the sudden scent of cologne that caught his nose and saw Dino sitting at a table enjoying breakfast. Prompto assumed that the drink he was enjoying was mixed with liqour as always.

"Hey Dino! So you really did make it to Altissia," Prompto grinned.

"Oh yes, and maybe it's the smooth as silk Altissian libations speaking, but the gems that I craft are naught but pebbles compared to this diamond of a city," Dino exclaimed in an unusually theatrical tone.

Clearly Dino was "drunk still".

"I take it then that Coctura continues to reject your advances?" Prompto asked, taking a seat beside him.

"A man of class such as myself can only wait so long," Dino replied. "Besides, I've got my eyes set upon a new prize."

He pointed towards a tan-skinned server wearing a crisp uniform with a maroon vest. He was bald, but sported a neatly trimmed beard, with a few hints of grey.

"You like 'em old huh?" Prompto teased.

"I like older _men_. I prefer women to be around my age or younger. Strange double-standard I know," Dino explained.

"The heart wants what it wants," Prompto shrugged.

"The heart needs to wait its turn," Dino said, then sniggered at his own filthy joke. "But I'm babbling. What about you, buddy?"

"Me? I don't think I'm your type," Prompto laughed.

"No, no, no silly," Dino said, revealing his inebriation with each passing syllable. "I mean what are the latest details of your love quest?"

 _Humiliating as always_ , Prompto thought. But then this was Dino and he was drunk which means Prompto could for once enjoy feeling a bit less than pathetic for a change.

"Well when I was at Cape Caem, I finally confessed my feelings for Cindy," Prompto said. He omitted the three day journey of embarrassment that had led to it.

"Oh really," Dino said, leaning in conspiratorially. "And how did that go?"

"Well, I'm not one to kiss and tell, but she did give me a nice sendoff," Prompto said, reveling in an unusual feeling of manliness.

"Well aren't you the lucky duck," Dino laughed. "It does my heart good to know that love can flourish so. Ah, this calls for a toast."

"Don't you think you've had enough for one morning?" Prompto asked. "I mean I find you delightful like this, but it would ruin my vacation if you got alcohol poisoning before lunch."

Dino tapped his nose and nodded. "I get ya. And I would not want to be too... incapacitated," he said this word with enormous difficulty, "for the wedding."

"Uh, you're getting a little bit ahead of yourself," Prompto said, only realizing after he'd spoken that Dino probably was referring to Noctis's wedding.

Dino took it in stride by giggling like a fool and letting his head hit the table. After a moment of him not moving, Prompto heard the distinct sound of snoring.

"We were just talking... how long have you been up Dino?" Prompto asked to nobody in particular.

He patted Dino's back and Dino shot up as though he'd been struck by lightning.

"Oh! I feel our time is at an end for today," Dino said. "I don't suppose I could convince you to escort me back to my hotel. The spirit is willing but I can't remember my legs."

Prompto sighed, stood up and lifted his friend up out of his chair, holding one of his arms around his shoulder as he supported him down the pier towards his bed.

"You are a true friend, Prompto," Dino said drunkenly, with every indication of sincerity albeit somewhat marred by the realization that he could pass out at any moment. "Your cup runneth over with the wine of human kindness."

"Well your cup just runneth over with wine," Prompto retorted.

"I'm gonna die alone, my friend," Dino said, sounding sober for the first time all morning.

"Hey, don't talk like that," Prompto said encouragingly. "Hell you haven't even tried to put the moves on that waiter."

"Men like me are good for a night, but not so good for the mornings after," Dino sighed. "And that's why I'll always be alone."

"That's the booze talking," Prompto replied. "You'll feel better after a sleep and an hour or so of puking."

"That's true. At least I got good friends like you."

This back and forth went on for some time during the unfathomably long walk down the short pier. Prompto finally made it to Dino's room where he laid him on his bed pitched over the side in case he felt the urge to vomit in his sleep.

"Am I a good person, Prompto?" Dino asked, all of his boisterous swagger depleted in the privacy of his room.

"Ah most people are good," Prompto replied. "We just all do lousy things. Dino, you've done nothing since I've known you to make me think you are a bad guy."

"Sage words, my friend," Dino muttered. "May you find what you are looking for."

"And may you actually get some sleep," Prompto said, leaving his friend alone in the dark.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summer Abroad - Part 11**

Prompto managed to run into Gladiolus and Ignis outside the famed monster arena Totomostro. They had taken in a show after their lunch, but neither had seen Noctis.

"He's still busy with his wedding arrangements, which for some reason requires long talks behind closed doors with the head honcho of Altissia," Gladiolus explained.

"The wedding was set up by the Empire," Ignis explained. "It is very likely they will use the wedding as a chance to attack Noctis, Altissia and the Hydraen all at once. It is understandable that there would be a great deal of preparation required."

"So much for a honeymoon, I guess," Prompto shrugged.

"Well it means we might get a chance to have some fun of our own," Gladiolus replied, patting his arm. "Oh speaking of which, we picked up a lead on a job from Weskham, in case you were wanting to earn a little extra spending cash for your time out here."

"Or rather money to eat with considering how low our funds have become," Ignis said, casting a glance back towards the arena.

"Gambling not really your strong suit, eh Gladio?" Prompto smirked.

"Well they wouldn't let _me_ enter the arena, so no," Gladiolus sighed. "Anyway, you want to hear about the job or not. I'm sure you'd get a kick out of it in particular."

"A hunt that I'd be good at. Well this I got to hear."

Gladiolus put his arm around Prompto's shoulder and led him to the bridge overlooking one of the main canals. He pointed down to a small service corridor on the other side of the water and a couple of floors down.

"There's a painting in there that's supposed to be haunted. Legend states that a ghost pops out of it every night and it terrorizes the workers," Gladiolus explained.

"Sounds like daemon activity to me," Prompto said.

"Sounds like easy money to me," Gladiolus retorted. "And besides an artist like yourself would probably just love a chance to see just how _alive_ art can become."

"You just want me there because of my star shell," Prompto laughed, slapping the side of his pisol. Prompto had perfected a type of bullet that created an enormous white flash, which was especially effective against daemons who feared the light. But of course, he would have gone along anyways.

"I take it that means you'll join us," Ignis said.

"As if there was ever a question. Maybe if Noctis is done by nightfall he can join us too."

As it happened, nightfall came and Noctis was still nowhere to be seen. They regretted leaving their comrade behind, but they had a job to do before the sun came up. Gladiolus led the way and Prompto took up the rear as they walked down the lamplit road towards the service corridor. Even among the beauty of Altissia there were small rows like this where some of the magic gave way to crude reality.

Stacks of boxes and old equipment lay scattered around the area and even some discarded refuse. Cigarette ashes and general soot completed the illusion – this was a dank hole that allowed the surface to function.

"Charming place," Ignis quipped. "I should have my own wedding here."

"Maybe I should ask our ghost host if she's single," Gladiolus chuckled.

"There are a number of points wrong with that suggestion," Ignis replied simply. "Not least of which is the fact that if I were interested I could ask her myself."

He pointed down towards the end of the corridor where a spectral shade of a woman floated ominously before a portrait of herself. The light shimmer from her visage did not fool them however, this was no ghost, but a daemon masquerading as one.

"So... who wants to go first?" Gladiolus asked.

"I thought you were taking the lead. Or are you askeered of ghosts?" Prompto teased.

"It's a narrow passageway. If I go first you two will be stuck with nothing to do," Gladiolus rationalized.

"I don't suppose you want us to draw lots," Ignis replied.

"You guys plan on talking about it all day?" Came Noctis's voice from behind them, causing Prompto to stumble over from shock.

"Good evening to you too, Noctis," Ignis said. "How did things go?"

"As well as can be expected," Noctis replied. "The day of the wedding has been pushed up to tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Gladiolus asked.

"We're trying to keep the Empire as off-footed as possible," Noctis explained. "And there's a very good chance Altissia won't survive an encounter with Leviathan..."

As usual Prompto felt slightly detached from the conversation going on. At the moment the main thing he heard was that his already shrinking deadline had now been condensed into a matter of hours. Time was up, and he still had nothing to show for his journey.

"I hate to be that guy," Prompto said. "But uh, is now really the time to talk about all this?"

The four men looked back towards the specter who continued to stare down the corridor as if waiting for them. Ignis nodded and Noctis drew his blade.

"Good point, Prompto. Way to keep us focused on the task at hand," Gladiolus said, cracking his knuckles. "Okay, I'll go in first, just don't complain if there's none left for you."

Lifting his shield he charged down the hallway, and the others followed behind him. For a supposed ghost, the daemon was decided corporeal as it swatted Gladiolus, knocking him back against the right side wall.

"Prompto, do that thing you do!" Gladiolus called.

Prompto reached into his bandolier and grabbed one of his special flare shots. As Ignis kept it distracted with magic, the shot rang out true, illuminating the entire service corridor in a brilliant white light. The daemon shrieked in pain, but was far from felled. The pain of the attack caused her to lift Ignis by the collar and throw him against the opposite wall from Gladiolus. Gladiolus was back up by this point, but clearly shaken from having been tossed about like a rag doll.

"One of these days you're gonna teach me how to use magic, Noctis," Gladiolus grunted. "I can't use my sword in here and this shield is useless right now."

Prompto fired another star shell and creature reeled back in agony. Unfortunately the jig was up.

"Uh guys, I'm out," Prompto said.

"Well I hope this ghost is scared of regular bullets then," Noctis said. He tossed a bolt of lightning at the shade but it didn't seem to react at all, especially when compared to the light from Prompto's weapon.

Noctis was not simply brushed aside by the daemon woman, but rather lifted up high into the air. The would-be ghost was going to try and finish one of her assailants here and now. Noctis felt the life being drained from him as the vile creature throttled him about the neck.

Gladiolus rushed in but was again thrown against the wall like a plaything.

"Prompto!" Ignis shouted. "Help Noctis!"

 _Okay but how?!_ Prompto cursed internally. The creature feared light. They had to use that somehow. Could it really be that simple?

Prompto reached into his bag and pulled out his camera. He quickly flicked a lever to turn the flash on and snapped a picture. The bright but quick pulse distracted the creature who shrieked from pain long enough to drop Noctis.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me," Gladiolus grunted. "I'll never hear the end of this one from you."

"Shut up and finish it off while I keep it busy!" Prompto shouted.

Prompto fired off a few more shots from his camera as Noctis and Ignis blasted the ghost with fire and ice blasts respectively. Gladiolus had submitted to his uselessness against this particular foe and stood in front of Noctis with his shield. Despite the fact that it was the spells that were actually causing the creature true harm the light was what infuriated it most. It slapped the camera out of Prompto's hand with an enormus swipe that send Prompto flying as well. Prompto felt his hands flip a trigger on the device before it landed on the far side of the room.

The ghost had more than enough to deal with apart from this however and by now it was already on its last legs from the flames and frost. It decided that now was the time to make a hasty retreat, but Prompto had one trick left up his sleeve. He pulled a dark purple bullet from his bandolier and fired it into the center of the room. An enormous black sphere appeared in the center of Prompto's firing line and pulled the daemon and the remnants of the fire and ice magic all into one condensed ball of pain. An unfortunate side effect of this was that Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto were all pulled in as well, sliding together right in front of the daemon.

Prompto reached for his holster, Gladiolus raised his shield high, Noctis readied another fireball and Ignis was rising to his feet with one of his daggers. Then there was a flash of white light and the daemon let out a piteous wail before departing this realm.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summer Abroad – Part 12**

The trek back to Maagho was a strange mixture of relief, triumph and exhaustion. Even as they sat in the gondola, Prompto was fighting off sleep. He just had to make it another half hour or so and then they would be in bed at the hotel. His mind went back to Dino briefly. Perhaps even now he was wide awake and out partying while they were preparing for bed.

The gondola pulled up to the bar and Weskham welcomed them, quite literally, with open arms.

"You look like conquering heroes," Weskham boomed. "How fared the hunt?"

"Well we defeated the daemon," Ignis explained. "It turned out she was quite camera shy."

Weskham smiled broadly even though it was clear he wasn't sure what that meant. He handed over a sizeable stack of gil notes as a reward and as a bonus fixed them all a quick supper. Prompto was only able to eat three bites before he start to doze off in his seat. Noctis didn't touch any of his.

"So. Tomorow is your big day," Weskham nodded. "Must be nervous."

"There are a lot of emotions right now," Noctis replied simply. "But yeah. Nervousness is a good way to describe it."

Noctis stood up and paced around the bar for a moment. Prompto laid his head on the bar. Gladiolus nudged him a moment later and asked if he was gonna finish his dinner. As Prompto slid his plate over, Ignis stood up and joined Noctis.

"You are certain you have considered everything, your Highness?" Ignis asked.

"This is... the way things have to be. Once everything goes down I don't know what is going to happen to all of us. It will be open revolt against the Empire," Noctis said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Relax, Noctis. You've got us with you," Gladiolus said. "No matter what happens."

"Even so. Things are going to be very different. It's going to be all out war," Noctis sighed.

"We might become your Crownsguard but we are still your brothers," Ignis said. "The nature of our journey will have changed but we will still be with you through it all."

Prompto lifted his head and on a sudden urge began to sift through the photos his camera had taken during the night. A sudden inspiration had struck him and he just wondered if there was a decent one in the batch.

And there was one.

"Noct," Prompto said, handing the camera over to him. "I think I figured it out."

Noctis seemed off-put for a moment as Prompto's exclamation seemed out-of-step with the rest of the conversation.

"I mean for your wedding photo. You see, I get what you're worried about. After all this goes down it won't be us just having adventures out in the wilds anymore," Prompto said. "But Gladio and Specs are right. We're always going to be with you. So... here."

The camera's display showed the final shot from the battle, the daemon mid-way through its disappearance leaving a hollow glow around the battlefield. Gladiolus's shield shining brilliantly against the beast as Noctis cast his spell. Ignis rushing in on the right side of the frame, dagger in hand but face still visible as he turned away from the flames. Prompto himself was on the ground pistol in hand reaching for a bullet.

"The last adventure we had before your wedding. Whatever else happens you can look back on this photo and remember today. It's not the prettiest shot, there wasn't a lot of care or dedication put into it. It's simple and..." Prompto struggled over the words for a moment before he finally settled on. "Honest."

Noctis nodded and then let out a small smile. "You're right Prompto. I know you all have my back. Tonight was fun. But more than that, all that we've done together, all the adventures that we've been on... they mean so much to me. So... I guess I want to say." Noctis handed the camera back to Prompto and then pulled all three of his friends into a hug.

"Thanks, guys."

The morning of the wedding had come and Noctis was preparing himself. While he was wearing regal attire in preparation for the obvious trap, his weapons were always ready at a moment, and he carried several potions in his pockets. For the first time in recorded history, Noctis was the first one up, though Prompto was shortly after him.

"Whatever happens today, don't change, Prompto," Noctis said.

"As consistent as the tides, my friend," Prompto replied.

But that was not quite true. In fact, Prompto had changed quite a bit over the past few weeks. He had always been in the background of the journey. He was just the photographer, the artist, the man documenting the work of those greater than him. He was kind and funny, but that was it. He had never really known his true place, or where he could possibly stand among these titans who called him a friend.

He had faced a challenge, and lost. He had confessed his true feelings for Cindy, and been shot down before he managed to magically course correct using an inner strength he didn't even know he had. And through sheer luck he had managed to save all of his friends from a daemon.

Maybe he wasn't just dead weight on the journey. Maybe in spite of all his supposed shortcomings he was what they needed the most when the world was consuming their thoughts. When the perils of their journey got too great for them to bear, perhaps they needed somebody like him to help them ease the burden.

"That was one hell of a summer," Noctis quipped.

"Yeah," Prompto nodded. "Best of my life."

Gladiolus and Ignis awoke a short while later. They dressed in relative silence. The hour approached with merciless speed as they took a quick moment to brace themselves for what lied ahead of them.

Noctis reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a copy of the photo that Prompto had taken. He looked at it for a moment as if making a silent prayer, before he slid it back in and reached for the door handle.

"Alright guys," Prompto said, patting Noctis's shoulder. "Together."


	13. Autumn Twilight Teaser

**Autumn Twilight – Teaser**

 _* Spoiler Warning *_

 _The first three episodes of my "Year of Eos" have been side adventures not related to the main story and have been almost entirely spoiler-free up until now. However this final part focuses on Ignis and his time between Chapters 13 and 14 of the game. Ergo I must warn you that there are massive spoilers incoming during this story. I apologize to fans of my series who have not yet completed the game but in order to tell the best story possible involving Ignis, this was the only setting I could think up._

 _ **Please do not read further unless you have completed Final Fantasy XV's Main Story.**_

Darkness. Same as the day before.

For Ignis the unending night had begun a few days earlier than the rest of the world. He rolled out of bed and reached for his cane. A few moments later and the alarm that was meant to stir him sounded. He reached instinctively for the device whose position he knew by heart and stopped it. His body had acclimated to the strict routine his day had become and he'd beaten the clock almost every day for a year.

Though his condition caused him to be for all intents and purposes blind there was some sight to him. He could make out the general level of light in a given area and could occasionally see fuzzy shapes. This didn't help him much. By this time he'd simply learned to use his other senses to get around. However knowing where the light was served as a crucial survival tool in this new world where the sun never rose and the night was full of monsters.

He'd memorized his small caravan which served as his house in this new world. It wasn't very big but that was actually a plus as far as he was concerned. He had his bed, the small fold out desk, the kitchenette area and the doorway leading out into the Hammerhead garage. The former popular service station had been fenced in and lit up using every generator Cindy could crank out. Fuel was too precious these days to use for much else than these generators but a few vehicles still ran to trade supplies between the few scarce human outposts.

Lestallum was the new capitol of human civilization, the nearly limitless energy from the meteor, coupled with the surrounding farms and strategically viable positioning made it a natural choice. Hammerhead was a smaller outpost that now served as the headquarters for the hunters, Meldacio had long since been abandoned.

It was here that Ignis had been living ever since their fateful journey to Gralea, the Imperial capitol city. The seven years that had passed since had been an endless stream of nearly identical days doing the essential tasks for survival. And these tasks were made the more monotonous by the absence of his friends.

Noctis disappeared within Gralea and had not been seen since. Most assumed he was dead, but Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto still help out some hope – though each passing month chipped away at it little by little. As for those two, Ignis saw them on occasion – in the loosest sense of the word, of course. However their duties often kept the three far apart. Ignis felt as thought the loss of Noctis had unhinged their brotherhood; perhaps they stayed apart intentionally to avoid confronting their loss. Gladiolus was always out on the hunt with Cor, the two serving as defenders of Lestallum. Prompto had been doing technical work and running supplies between outposts. As for Ignis, he'd elected to remain at Hammerhead and do what he did best – cook. It was a boring life, but it was his role to fill.

Read more in _Autumn Twilight. Chapter 1 now available on my profile!_


End file.
